Extremist group kills two Nigerian Christians

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ABUJA, Nigeria—A Boko Haram offshoot shot two Nigerian Christians according to a video from last week and threatened to target more. In the video, extremists with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) vowed to continue attacks in central Plateau state to avenge the killing of Muslims during previous religious conflicts.

Who are the Christians? Lawrence Duna Dacighir and Godfrey Ali Shikagham were members of the Church of Christ in Nigeria. ISWAP abducted the Plateau natives from northeastern Borno state, where they had traveled to build shelters for people displaced by extremist insurgency. Jos, Plateau’s capital city, endured large-scale clashes between Christians and Muslims in 2001 and 2008. Christians across central Nigeria have faced attacks in recent years from armed herdsmen and Islamic terrorists.

Dig deeper: Read my report on how Nigerian Christians are seeking U.S. intervention in the religious unrest.

Onize Oduah

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks